Viking Raider Ireland, 795 from FeR Miniatures

Something a little older for this review as I often feel that existing miniatures often get overlooked by new shiny releases. 
There are many gems out there if you really look.

So... who doesn't love a good viking miniature?

This particular viking comes from FeR Miniatures as part of the Northern Winds collection. The 54mm size really suits this figure and coming more from a gaming background, it's a size I don't find too imposing or intimidating.

As with the majority of FeR Miniatures this comes in a plastic clam type box with labels showing Martin Goumaz excellent version and letting me know that the sculptor is Matthieu Rouèche.

No fancy odd cuts here. Just a simple hands off at the wrists design which due to the wrist straps works well. Good to have the sheathed sword separate too as it helps with the detail.

Solid base to get you going straight out of the box as is common with historical figures. You could use the base but it's a fairly simple design so easy enough to create something original.

As I'm sure you've noticed straight away is this is in no way your stereotypical or cinematic viking. None of the old horned helmet Hollywood rubbish here. There is however some great touches in the choice of clothing and accessories.

Talking about the clothing; the cloth sculpting is excellent and looks like it will be enjoyable to paint all those folds to give a good look of light and shade. And I love the way the belt straps are tucked in.

Weapon and his shield are very much no nonsense and made for their purposes. Nice research into their design too. Especially on the shield grip.

What you can also see in the above photos is the lines left by the moulding process. These run round edge of the figure and looks like it stops just behind the ears. This will take some careful cleaning on the legs to keep all that great detail.

And... I found an air bubble!

Okay; admittedly I had to hold it up to the light and it isn't really an issue and I'd have to hollow out one side to fill it (and if you know me, you know I will). 

And... that's the only bubble I found. One.

Now something else that did hit me in comparison to other FeR Miniatures products I've looked at was the colour which is a bit more greenish, and the smell. Oh my the smell. 

I've seen this resin type before and it had the same smell. GRX Créations in France was behind that and I think they may be behind this cast. That's no bad thing as they are pretty good at resin casting. Their resin is easy to work with. You just really have to let it air to get rid of the smell.

My final thoughts on this?

Honestly, I've already put this on my list of projects. The pose may be quite a basic "my foot is on something" affair but I really like the overall feel and look of this. I'd even be tempted to research viking dyes for some colour ideas on the clothing. And invading 795AD Ireland surely means some lush greens on the basing which I enjoy too.

You can pick this figure up from any official stockists or direct from FeR Miniatures at €28rrp.

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